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Whistleblowing
Transparency International
Transparency International
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Abstract
"Whistleblowing is the disclosure of information about perceived wrongdoing in an organisation, or the risk thereof, to individuals or entities believed to be able to effect action.1 The ultimate goal of whistleblowing is to protect the public interest. It achieves this by informing people or organisations that are in a position to prevent harm, to investigate or to take action against those responsible for wrongdoing. Prominent whistleblowers have revealed the cover-up of SARS and other dangerous diseases and helped to avoid environmental and health hazards in the United States and elsewhere. Data shows that occurrences of fraud in companies often come to light thanks to whistleblowers who have been found in some studies to detect internal problems more frequently than any other actor, including regulators, auditors and the media.2 Protecting one’s right to come forth with wrongdoings is closely related to protecting one’s freedom of expression and conscience. It also is based on the principles of transparency and accountability. 2. The role of whistleblowing in the fight against corruption Corruption is a notoriously secretive activity and it is usually only those engaged in corrupt deals or those who work with them that are aware of it. Insiders are among the few people who are able to report cases of corruption (past or ongoing) and identify the risk of future wrongdoing. By helping to detect corruption cases, whistleblowers play a critical role in converting a vicious cycle of secrecy into a virtuous cycle (see figure below). Detection of corruption is a pre-condition to initiate related investigations and prosecution. However, only if corruption cases are effectively prosecuted can a culture of corruption change."
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2010-11-17
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With permission of the license/copyright holder